Installer plug-ins and /tmp issues
Installer plug-ins and /tmp issues
- Subject: Installer plug-ins and /tmp issues
- From: Atticus O Gifford <email@hidden>
- Date: Wed, 28 Mar 2007 22:42:36 -0400
I apologize for the length of this! The short version is I need a way to pass
information from plug-ins that get executed before the authorization step in
the installer to a package later in the installer that does the actual writing.
For more detail, read on:
-------
I'm working on migrating our old installers from VISE to PackageMaker, and I'm
running some issues regarding configuration. Most of our installers are
repackaged vendor installers with added bits to streamline user configuration.
For example, we used to repackage Eudora, and all the user had to do was provide
their MIT user name and the installer would configure their account, get their
mail server etc.
In trying to move the essential functionality over into PackageMaker, it seems
like Plug-ins are best option from a UI perspective. They have the added
benefit of not running when the installer is pushed out via Apple Remote
Desktop, which is the behavior we want. My current installer uses a plug-in to
display the user's configuration info (server, username etc.) on an upgrade, or
to display a default set of preferences if it's a new install. The user can
make changes, and then click onward to begin the actual installation.
The problem is that the app's preferences are stored in a folder under
/Library/Preferences, and so the installing user can't create a folder there on
a new install if they're not an Admin. Apparently, the authorization doesn't
take effect until the actual files start getting laid down.
This brings me to the main issue I'm having (sorry for all the description): I
need a way to pass the information gathered in the plug-in phase to a package
later in the installation process that does all the actual file-writing (this
is a distribution package).
I'm currently using /tmp as a well-known location to pass messages in text
files, but I'm not sure that's the best solution here. Additionally, the
package that does the writing at the end seems to have trouble installing files
to /tmp (I get generic errors, and the installer quits with no other
information).
1) Should I be using /private/tmp rather than /tmp? I'm not sure
which is the more appropriate location.
2) Am I approaching this all wrong? What are other people doing?
3) why won't files install into /tmp from the package I'm using? Permissions on
original files? Should it matter for /tmp?
Any thoughts or experiences would be helpful. Thanks, and sorry again for the
long message!
Atticus Gifford
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